[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 26 (Thursday, March 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E262-E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SENIOR CITIZENS FREEDOM TO WORK ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 1, 2000

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support H.R. 5, The 
Senior Citizens

[[Page E263]]

Freedom to Work Act of 2000. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this worthwhile piece of legislation.
  This objective of this bill is simple and straightforward: it would 
totally remove the future earnings limit for working seniors who 
receive Social Security.
  For too many years, those senior citizens, aged 65-69, who chose to 
continue to work, have had their Social Security benefits deducted by 
one dollar for every three dollars earned once their earnings went over 
the limit. For many years, this limit was $12,500 annually.
  The 104th Congress made a much needed change in 1997, by raising the 
limit to $30,000 by 2002.
  I have long believed that more needs to be done on this issue. Ever 
since coming to Washington, in the 93rd Congress, I have introduced 
legislation to either raise the earnings limit, or eliminate it, 
altogether. I believe that repeal of this regulation is one of the most 
effective things we in Congress can do to show our seniors that we 
recognize the value of their contributions to both our Nation's economy 
and to the character of our individual communities.
  The Social Security earnings limit is a relic from the Great 
Depression era, when concern over mass unemployment led many to believe 
that the imposition of the limit would prevent retired individuals from 
competing with younger workers for scarce jobs. While the limit's 
utility in the 1930s is debatable, most everyone agrees with the 
argument that it has no place in today's work environment.
  The earnings limit only serves to discourage seniors from working and 
diminishes their potential impact on society. It is a condescending 
regulation that conveys the message that seniors have nothing to 
contribute and are better off not serving in the work force. In doing 
this, it both reduces the standard of living for working seniors, as 
well as rob the country of the valuable experience and workplace skills 
of those senior citizens who, because of the earnings limit, forego 
returning to the workplace.
  Thanks to revolutionary advances in the field of medicine, Americans 
are living longer than ever before in our Nation's history. 
Consequently, senior citizens are the fastest growing component of our 
country's population.
  Moreover, the U.S. economy is currently running at very close to full 
employment. While the unemployment rate is at a historic low, demand 
for finished goods shows no signs of abating. Employers recognize this, 
and are searching for ways to address this challenge. Many have turned 
to senior citizens, who are a vast, largely untapped, labor resource. 
Consequently, recruitment of senior citizens by private industry is on 
the rise, and shows more signs of increasing in the future.
  Given this, it simply makes no sense to maintain an arbitrary 
earnings limit that penalizes those individuals of retirement age who 
wish to continue being productive members of the work force. Nobody who 
wishes to enjoy retirement should be forced to work, however, those who 
do work should not be unfairly penalized for doing so.
  Our senior citizens have their own unique and invaluable 
contributions to make to our society as a whole. I have long encouraged 
my colleagues in Congress to recognize and reward this initiative, 
rather than penalize it by clinging to outmoded regulatory relics.
  For far too long, the poor budgetary environment made repeal of this 
limit a practical impossibility. Today's environment of growing 
surpluses has knocked away this last obstacle to reform. We need to 
seize this opportunity to provide simple, but effective reform for our 
working seniors.
  Moreover, while important, the repeal of this limit should only be 
the first step towards improving the economic welfare of our senior 
citizens. Congress still needs to repeal the earnings limit for those 
seniors aged 62-64, and this debate should be the prelude to a full 
review of the taxes levied on our senior citizens, with the goal of 
repealing all taxes on Social Security benefits, which in effect are a 
discriminatory form of double taxation.
  I am pleased to see that the President has finally stated his public 
support for the elimination of the earnings limit, and I commend my 
colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee for their diligence and 
attention to this issue in their recent favorable consideration of this 
bill.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this timely, and 
important legislation.

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